Bogáta Timár Profile picture
Proto-Uralic unicorn doing PhD in Tartu, from Hungary. My heart is in the Volga region. Also on @bogatatimar.bsky.social
Nov 12, 2024 20 tweets 6 min read
Have you ever wondered HOW exactly is Hungarian is a Finno-Ugric language?
How it is actually related to Finnish and Estonian?
Well friend this is your lucky day! Buckle up and let's find out! 🧵

First, let's start with how languages can be similar. Image In this picture, language A and language B have words with similar sound and meaning.
Language A is Greek.
Language B is Hawaiian.
The reason for their similarity is called coincidence. About 1-2% of any two given languages will have such similaities. Image
Oct 23, 2024 15 tweets 6 min read
On this fine day of rememberance, let us remember times when Hungary knew better.
Incoming: few random facts about the 1956 revolution. Image
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The revolution was inspired by the anti-Soviet demonstrations in Poland on 19. October. Hungarians announced a solidarity demonstration at the statue of General Bem, symbolizing Polish-Hungarian friendship, on 23 Oct at 3 pm, which is considered the beginning of the revolution. Image
Sep 10, 2024 19 tweets 4 min read
5 years since Albert Razin's self-immolation in front of the Udmurt Parliament.
I'll use @JohannaLaakso5's 2019 blog post as a source to recount what went down that day and who really killed Razin.
kielioblog.wordpress.com/who-killed-alb…
Image On Sept 10, 2019, the 79-year-old Albert Razin, Udmurt sociologist and language activist, set himself on fire in front of the parliament building of the Republic of Udmurtia, as a protest against the suppression of Russia’s minority languages. He died in the hospital later.
Aug 19, 2024 22 tweets 8 min read
On 20 August, Estonia celebrates its 33rd anniversary of re-independence, and Hungary its 1024. anniversary of its establishment.
Though by far one of the biggest achievements in Hungarian history, even Hungarians don't know much about it.
So how did Hungary become a kingdom? 🧵 The 7 Hungarian (take that term here veeeery loosely) tribes conquered the Carpathian Basin in 895-896.
It was another massive achievement we should celebrate more, but let's stick to today's topic.
This was made possible by forming a tribal alliance and choosing a ruling figure. Image
Aug 7, 2024 23 tweets 8 min read
OK I'm cranky and annoyed because somebody's wrong on the Internet, so here's a thread about Hungarians.
Why Hungarians are not so big on being a "Finno-Ugric nation", specifically. And why they think they're Huns instead.
Gird your loins, as Nigel would say. 🇭🇺 I'm often amazed how little even Finns and Estonians know about Hungarians' resistence to being Finno-Ugric.
But it's true: though by far the most populous F-U nation (get used to this abbreviation), many Hungarians are unsure at best, passionate haters of the mere idea at worst. Image
May 3, 2024 9 tweets 4 min read
It's been 4 days but I'm still so mad I have to write about it.
On 29 April, Sergei Kachimov, Khanty activist, shaman, protector of holy lake Imlor, died after a long illness, having denied medical care.
The land he was protecting sat on vast reserves of crude oil. Image The struggle has been almost a century long. Almost half of Russia's oil is produced in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, where drilling has been conducted with no regards to the ecosystem of the taiga wetlands.
Or the indigenous people with their animals living here since forever. Image
Mar 28, 2024 18 tweets 8 min read
Helena Bibowa, the oldest and only surviving native speaker of a tiny language called Wymysiöeryś is turning 102 today.
In honor of that, let me take you along on the story of Wymysiöeryś.
It's of death and resurrection, and a hefty deal of random, but I promise it's a happy one. Image Wymysiöeryś is a unique and archaic Germanic microlanguage spoken in Southwest Poland in and near the town of Wilamowice.
It's considered to be an East Central German remnant with a lot of Polish influence.
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Jun 21, 2023 16 tweets 5 min read
As I have stated before, Estonia is the centre of the Finno-Ugric world.
One thing I really like about it is that there are actual places which anyone can visit and are directly linked to the Finno-Ugric movement.
So I hought I’d share some very Finno-Ugric places in Estonia. 1) Taarka Tarõ in Obinitsa, Setomaa.
This restaurant has long been a stronghold of Seto and Finno-Ugric activism. The owners, the Hõrns were some of the first to recognize the potential of international cooperation and digital possibilities to promote and preserve Seto culture.
Apr 28, 2023 21 tweets 5 min read
In the Kremlin's strategies towards the Baltic states, leaked by Eesti Päevaleht, there was this point about Estonia:
"curbing the support of Finno-Ugric separatist activities" is one of the main objectives.
Let me tell you about Russia's paranoia towards Finno-Ugric peoples!🧵 First some history.
In the early 20th century, the Finno-Ugric nations went through a cultural and intellectual bloom. Helped by the national awakening (cf. the Kazan Seminar) and the 1917 Revolution, which propagated the equality of nations, Finno-Ugric intelligentsia was born.
Dec 12, 2022 13 tweets 3 min read
A few months ago I was iterviewed for an MA thesis on how my political views changed after moving to Estonia.
The thesis is now defended and available! You can read it here: dspace.ut.ee/handle/10062/8…
Also, here are my favorite takes. 🧵 1) There is no drastic change observed in the immigrants' political views who migrated to Estonia 1-5 years before the interview. However, they adapted their existing views to their new circumstances, any some interesting patterns were observed.
Jun 30, 2022 9 tweets 2 min read
Just had an interview with a researcher on how my political views have changed since I moved from Hungary to Estonia.
Loved every minute of it.
Now that it's done, why not make a brief summary. 1) I moved from Hun to Est in a large part for political reasons. I couldn't bear the rift Fidesz created in society, its divisive narrative, hate speech, toxic imperialist self-representation, exceptionalism, neglect of its social sphere, especially education and healthcare.